


Lock and Key

by Warks1999



Category: Derry Girls (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:41:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29296794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warks1999/pseuds/Warks1999
Summary: There was no such thing as a conventional weekend. Especially when two of Derry's biggest eejits were involved...
Relationships: James Maguire/Erin Quinn
Comments: 20
Kudos: 29





	1. Who owns the Fella?

**Lock and Key**

**Chapter 1: Who owns the Fella? 16** **th** **December 1995**

It was a bizarre set of circumstances that led to it just being the two of them doing Christmas shopping that Saturday. Originally, the group of five would have been going along with Erin's parents, Sarah and Joe… a proper outing ahead of the holidays. It would culminate in them sleeping over at the Quinn household that night too. Fate had other ideas though.

It all started on the Friday evening. Michelle and James had been home from school for about an hour, the Englishman going straight to his room, completing his homework. Over the next couple of hours, intermittent coughing could be heard from his cousin's room and by the time he'd finished cooking dinner for the two of them, it was clear that she wasn't at her best. When she arrived downstairs, to say she looked like hell would have been an understatement. Her usually well coloured cheeks were paler than he'd ever seen them, even more so than on the old Halloween pictures in the living room, when she'd dressed up as a ghost. He made sure to keep his distance as they ate, sitting at the other end of the dinner table in an attempt to keep away.

The confirmation of her being far from best came for him throughout the meal, where she didn't swear at him once. In truth, she'd barely spoken to him at all. She headed off up to bed straight afterwards. A Friday night where Michelle was in bed before nine o'clock. It was unheard of. When Deirdre and Martin returned home from their respective shifts just before midnight, he was there to greet them, staying up to inform them of her condition. When her mother went to check on her shortly after, Michelle's temperature was through the roof. That would take her out of the shopping trip that Saturday. Unfortunate, but wise for both her health and theirs.

Before Friday was finished however, Clare was out of the trip too. Geraldine and Sean were out at his parents' house in order to check in on Clare's grandma, who'd suffered a fall the week before. They'd left Clare to look after herself plenty of times in the past, trusting her a lot more to look after herself and the house when she was away from the four troublesome others that she called friends. Except that trust proved to be misplaced. The Devlin kitchen was on fire when they returned home, the fire brigade joining them on the driveway as Clare panicked in front of them. Her explanations fell on deaf ears. She would be grounded until school on Monday, side-lining her too. Annoying to say the least…

Saturday morning saw the shopping roster whittled down even further. Gerry's brother Daniel, who he hadn't heard from since the prior Christmas, rang to say that he was going to come over to see him in a couple of hours. Erin particularly enjoyed seeing him, as unlike her da, he was a strong and amusing character. A proper man, not as humbled by women as his younger brother. Mary decided she would stay behind with Anna too, always enjoying the company of her husband's far more entertaining sibling when he'd visit. Erin protested the decision, not wanting to be embarrassed by Orla and Sarah in front of James without anyone else to share the burden with. It didn't sway Mary, yet fate decided to intervene once again, this time to her benefit. Something which she was explaining to James.

"So… John Hume just… phoned for Orla?"

"I'm honest!" She giggled, swatting at his arm as they walked into the shopping centre.

It sounded completely far-fetched, yet it was verbatim. John Hume really had phoned for Orla that morning. When they'd found out she'd sent his office a drawing on the theme of peace, the gang prepared for the endless barrage of her going on about it and then the embarrassment when the drawing would likely be shown on the news. She was a teenager who was, from Erin's best guesses, sending drawings of unicorns and rainbows to one of the most influential men in the process to obtain peace. Of course he'd liked it. Of course he would invite her to his offices to see him with the rest of the family.

"Granda was keen to see him too…". Erin explained. "… he… had a few ideas that he wanted to put across".

"I bet he did…". James jested.

"Oi!". She reprimanded him. "Granda's a very honourable man ye know".

"I'm not arguing with you there". He held up his hands in surrender. "He terrifies the life out of me if I'm honest".

"Ach well, you'll have to get used to putting up with his ideas James".

"Wh-.. What do you mean?"

James drew a blank as he tried to understand what Erin was on about. He was already used to the occasional comment from Joe about his sexuality, as well as Joe's ideas on the world and in particular Gerry. It wasn't as if he'd be spending any more time than normal around Joe other than staying at the Quinn house that night.

"Err… well… ye… ye know, now that ye stayin' and we'll have lots of revision to do with the exams!"

He couldn't quite get his head around why her response to his question came out nervously, beginning with stammering and then ending faster than a fighter jet, at almost a shout. Erin's cheeks were flushed pink too. It was all rather odd… though the whole events on the run up to their shopping expedition were no different, so he quickly put it to the back of his mind.

Erin desperately hoped her face wasn't burning as brightly on the outside as it was on the inside. In the couple of weeks since _that_ day, she couldn't stop the strange feelings bubbling within her when it came to the wee English fella. She was ever so close to breaking apart in front of the President of the United States of America because the next morning she would have woken up and James wouldn't have been in her life. The thought of a life without him in it made her wretch. Writing the letter and subsequently leaving it in her diary appeared to be a good idea at the time, but as the days went by, she couldn't stop thinking about it. She still didn't think showing him would be a good idea, but if anything, it made her feelings towards him increase. Knowing that a true introspection into her heart's yearnings lay a few feet away from her every night only entertained those errant feelings.

"Err… James". She decided to speak in order to shut off her ever-wandering mind. "I… I need to go to Primark first. Ye know, before we start lookin' for gifts".

"No problem". He smiled. "What for, might I ask?"

She really hoped he wouldn't have… but he had, so it was his fault. Absolutely his fault.

"I… erm…". She stammered again, blushing away. "… with daddy not being here... I… I wanted to look for some knickers".

James just about stifled the chuckle that immediately presented itself to him. He'd become accustomed to the odd belief that Gerry would bristle at the mention of women's underwear or anything remotely sexual. Quite why it had become a joke was alien to him, though he suspected Joe was most likely the root cause. Luckily for James though, he wasn't going to glow red at her wish to look for knickers. After all, all he had to do was stand out of the way until she was done. He'd played shopping assistant for the girls before, there was nothing much to it.

"Alright, Primark it is".

The two set off inside, with one feeling a hell of a lot more tense than the other.

* * *

Well, one that was being more honest at least.

James was just as nervous as she was… but supressed it far better. It was only when he found a spot out of the way, watching as Erin disappeared into the underwear section, that he confronted his ever-growing feelings for her. When Mary rang on the night of the prom, her voice littered with concern for her daughter, the reality of his feelings first came to fruition. Walking up the path to the Quinn's door, his heart was beating a rhythm that even an alcohol-fuelled Michelle wouldn't be able to dance to. When she'd taken his arm and they'd set off on the walk to school, it took every fibre in his body not to take her around to the side wall of the house and put his lips on hers. Those thoughts were angrily swiped away at the time, for good he'd hoped, only to return in the taxi as his mother was about to take him away. He kept up a good show when he returned, explaining his realisation that Derry was his home to them. But he'd only turned back for Erin. And now he didn't know how to tell her.

Feeling his cheeks burning, he turned to the nearest shelf in order to lose himself in feigned interest with the items on it. He'd found himself right next to the cutlery section, directly in front of a whole shelf full of wooden spoons. It would have been a paradise for Mary, who could have found any number of spoons to wield in her fierce ruling of the Quinn house. She didn't rule it with an iron fist; she ruled it with a wooden spoon. He briefly thought of buying Mary one for Christmas, but he'd wised up enough in his years to know that a trusty wooden spoon was not to be replaced. Anyway, knowing his luck, the spoon would probably turn out to be sentient and kill him. Though that was just a silly thought… _obviously…_

"Well… well… well… what do we have here then?"

James turned his head up at the woman's voice, finding her a few feet away from him. Staring at him… where she'd clearly been staring at the back of him. She certainly wasn't admiring the curve of his spine either…

"Erm… can I… help you?".

His head became his only ally as he was reminded in the next second about what this woman was. This was the rare breed of Derry cougar that Michelle warned him about. An older woman from the city, possibly single… possibly not, on the hunt for a strapping young man, something which Michelle immediately told him not to worry about as he was a 'right filthy fuckin' minger'. His cousin was wrong however, and had failed to give him the full explanation on how to fight off the attentions of the wild cougar. He would have to fend for himself upon the open plains of Primark.

"English…".

Finally him being from the wrong side of the sea came in handy. All the months of harassment and taunting thrown his way for being from England became worth it, saving him from the lust of the savage beast that cornered him.

"I like an English…". She licked her lips.

Aaaaaaaaaaaand no it hadn't…

He knew he was buggered at this point. All he could do was try to find an exit, but the woman had him where she wanted him. She wasn't unattractive, far from it in fact, she was actually quite beautiful, not that she held a candle to Erin. No one could in his eyes. _Her precious face, her lovely warm eyes, the way she would tuck a stray hair back behind her ear…_

"Look at those eyebrows…". The woman purred rather aggressively at him. "… almost as if they were stolen from Kathy Maguire herself…".

"How do you know my mum?"

The decision to voice what he was thinking straight away became one he regretted. If anything, it seemed to spur the woman on more.

"That explains that…". She gave him a wink… _a very very friendly one…_ "… I'm Joanne. What's yer name… handsome English stranger?"

She'd moved forward and was resting her hands on his shoulders. He was mortified; anybody could walk past and look at him stood there with the older woman hanging off of his shoulders. _Anyone…_

"J… James". He sheepishly gave her what she was looking for.

"James… like Bond…".

Using the fleeting seconds where the woman was lost in her own fantasies, he took a step back out of her grasp. He was certain his cheeks were on fire this time.

"Don't be shy Mr Bond". She was purring at him again, far more flirtatiously than before. "We both know ye've got a concealed weapon…".

"Who owns the fella?"

To his pure horror, another Derry cougar appeared from behind Joanne's right shoulder.

It appeared they hunted in packs.

Trying to handle Joanne was failing, but now confronted with a second prowling creature, the Englishman was well beyond his capabilities. There were barely any girls his age that would pay him a compliment, and there he was with two professional seductresses on his case. James was in dire need of a miracle…

"I think ye'll find I do!"

Recognising the voice to his left, he was blindsided by the presence of a wild-eyed Erin Quinn. She'd quietly crept up the other side of the aisle whilst he was being examined by the lustful Joanne, watching as the second woman sidled over. In earshot as the question was asked, the straw broke the camel's back, launching the blonde forward to fend the women off her James. _No… no… not her James… not like that…_

"Ach ye have a wee bit of totty do ye...". The second woman tilted her head towards Erin.

"He does Sharon… he does". Joanne added. "But a noble… gallant… _handsome_ … young Englishman needs a real woman, isn't that right Sharon?"

"Aye it is Joanne".

"Yeah well we're not like… _that_!" Erin continued to berate the two women. "We're just busy is all. And ye know… I think yer lost. Ann Summers is three shops down".

The two women baulked in offence to her as James just stood with his mouth hanging open, unsure of what was going on or how to properly react to it. He could only watch as the mudslinging battle heated up, one which Erin was already proving adept in.

"My house is only three streets away James…". Joanne tried to entice him, a finger twirling strands of her dark hair, but she was cut straight off by the feather-spitting Erin.

"I'm sure James would love to pop in and listen to stories about growin' up durin' the war another day". Joanne reared up in disgust at her once again as her laceration continued. "But as I've said we're busy, so if ye don't mind movin…".

"Mine's only two". Sharon whispered, giving him a wink that was even friendlier than Joanne's earlier.

"Alright that's enough Mrs Robinson!" Erin shouted at the woman. "Jesus might love ye, but James doesn't… so feck off!"

If he truly feared being eaten alive by the cougars, then it was another thing entirely to his fear of ever being on the end of an Erin Quinn lashing like the two women were. He'd seen her angry before, but never like this. Never so passionate in her arguments. Against the two older women, she held no apprehension for being outnumbered; she just completely went for them like a knife through butter.

"Hmph! Fine!" Joanne angrily retorted. "But ye should learn to keep yer bitch in line".

Her comment smiting Erin brought him back to his senses. There was no way he was going to let her get away with saying that to Erin, nor anyone for that matter. Yet amazingly, he didn't need to say or do anything.

Erin saw red.

Big time.

Reaching across his front, she picked up one of the wooden spoons on the shelf and lunged forward with it, striking Joanne cleanly on the nose as she'd turned her head slightly to laugh with Sharon. The resulting crack made James's eyes widen, recognising in an instant that Erin had only gone and broken the woman's nose with the wooden weapon.

"OI!"

A security guard happened to be watching too… _Erin had really dropped them in it._

Luckily for her, James's brain returned to full working order and he immediately grabbed her by the hand.

"We need to get out of here".

It wasn't helping her though, her knees weakening at his muscular grip on her little hand, her heart skipping a beat along with them. However, she understood what he was saying, hastily dropping the knickers she'd chosen on the floor as he began to drag them away.

As soon as they'd navigated their way out of Primark, the two realised the security guard wasn't giving up, so they legged it out of the centre. Emotions were flooding the pair of them as their hands remained locked together, running through the streets of Derry at a furious pace. If they weren't so concerned about being caught, both were independently considering turning down a side alley and just going for it with the other. But they were so scared of having to face the music for her actions, they never stopped running until they were just a few doors away from the Quinn house.

"Christ…". An out of breath James uttered, their hands finally parting as they were both trying to catch their breath. "I think you broke her nose…".

"Oh god!". An equally knackered Erin began to cack it a-la Clare. "We can't tell mammy… we can't!"

"She's not going to know". He pointed out to her.

It didn't take him too long to realise that they were famous last words…


	2. That would be me

**Chapter 2: That would be me**

Mary was waiting for her daughter and the wee English fella. Ready to pounce on most what were most certainly the two biggest doses in Derry that morning. Erin had forgotten that one of the family friends was a security guard, who upon realising that he couldn't keep up with the runaway wains, immediately telephoned the Quinn house. Gerry's brother was gone too, so any hope of a smoke screen of laughter and distraction for the two kids was lost.

Erin led James through to the kitchen after they'd taken their coats off, recognising from one look at her mother that they were rumbled. Unfortunately, James wasn't quite as observant, opening with a salvo of pleasantries.

"I like your jumper Mrs Quinn".

Granted, he was spot on in Mary's eyes. She was wearing her best Christmas Jumper that morning for the visit of Daniel. Noting another compliment coming her way from the wee English fella, she couldn't help but smile at him. He might have been an English, but he was a charming one at least.

"Thank ye son. You's are back earlier than I expected".

"It wasn't so busy mammy". Erin lied through her teeth.

"Aye right…" Mary's tone was already heading to a suspicious one. "… and without any gifts?"

There would be no delaying or skirting around the events of the day for as long as possible. James was finally realising that they were out of luck too, his smile dropping to a lip that quivered nervously instead.

"Mammy…".

"Save it Erin! Both of ye, living room, now!"

They trapsed into the living room with tails between their legs. Mary hadn't made the trip alone behind them, equipping herself with her own wooden spoon in much the same way Erin had to strike Joanne. The wooden spoon treatment was not one which he wished to face, nor see Erin face either. But by the look on Mary's face, it appeared that one of them was getting it.

They sat next to each other on the sofa, pressed right in together despite there being plenty of room to sit apart. But nothing was said about it. Mary had other matters to discuss.

"Do ye recognise this Erin?"

"Wooden spoon Mammy…". She mumbled.

"Aye… my wooden spoon". Mary snarled, bending forward to meet her daughter's eyes. "And what's it used for?"

"I… well…". Erin started to flounder at her mother's stern approach.

"Erin… I'm not asking again!"

"Baking, Mrs Quinn".

James's dorky, wide-grinned answer caused both Mary and Erin to turn ferocious looks on him for his stupidity. Trying to add amusement into a Mary Quinn scalding was one of the most brainless decisions that had ever been made under that roof, a roof that often contained the mindless actions of Orla McCool. It only took him a half-second to realise it afterwards.

"Breaking a woman's nose!" The matriarch's fury returned to her daughter. "I have never been so disappointed with you in my life Erin! Do ye know the shame ye've brought on this family!"

"I was protectin' James!" She vigorously argued her actions.

"Wise up! He's a fella, he can look after himself".

"She was one of those women mammy… who preys on the unsuspectin' young men who aren't from around here! He's not a… ragdoll… to be… well ye know… passed around to please the likes of her!".

"I don't care if she was the devil herself, ye can't go round assaultin' a woman because she wants to pay James here a compliment".

Erin huffed at her mother, folding her arms and looking out of the window. She was incredibly grateful that the reason for why she'd defended him wasn't asked further; she would never have been able to keep up the façade of her feelings in front of her mother.

With her daughter looking away, the Englishman once again became the object of Mary's disdain. Whilst Erin might have been the one to break Joanne's nose, the security guard recanted to her that it was James who took it upon himself to engineer their escape from the shopping centre.

"And you… I didn't have ye down as a coward!".

"I…". He went to answer, but ultimately thought better of it.

"I'll be ringin' yer Aunt Deirdre to be tellin' her about this, ye hear". She sneered at him, waving the spoon in his direction. "Christ I wouldn't be surprised if it were one of the others, but I feel a wee bit let down by ye for decidin' to bolt like that".

"I'm sorry Mrs Quinn, please this is all my fault…".

Erin turned back to him with a gasp. Typically, James was attempting to shift all responsibility to himself, a selflessness that only endeared him more to her. A selflessness that was threatening to make her lose control of her senses to kiss him right then and there, to tell him exactly what she wanted. But her mother was standing in front of the pair of them with the wooden spoon primed, ready to make contact with the skin on the back of their hands at the drop of a hat.

"Don't ye try and get Erin off the hook, yer in this together!" Mary shouted at them. "The two of you's are goin' back to Primark and apologising to that woman… and the staff. If ye do that, then she might not press charges…".

"Press charges?" A surprised James questioned.

"Aye son". She replied as tears began to form in Erin's eyes to his side. "Now you's best get yer coats back on. GERRY!"

An internal war broke out within Erin as she struggled to do anything in the seconds after her mother's comment. Her brain and her limbs didn't seem to function in tandem anymore, with her heart seemingly having jumped from her chest and took flight down the street. But her world was put back to normal with the touch of a hand on hers. His hand.

"I won't let anything happen… I promise".

All of sudden, she was having battles of a different kind. Of the, _try not to eat the face off of your best friend,_ variety…

* * *

It was an experience that they wouldn't be forgetting for a while. Returning to the scene of the crime, the two women had watched on and snarled at Erin. Luckily for her, Mary's stare silenced anything that the women might have to say before her daughter's apology, which was reluctantly accepted by Joanne. The two older women still had their eyes on James, but were too outgunned to try it on with him again.

Erin made her apologies through somewhat gritted teeth, although the thought of charges being pressed against her shocked her into giving it to them without hesitation. James still attempted to shift all of the blame onto himself even as he apologised to the guard, with everyone, including the two cougars, calling him a dose. He didn't mind the abuse, it was mild compared to what he put up with from Michelle on a regular basis, especially as he'd achieved his main aim of not letting anything happen to Erin. Throughout the trip she showed signs of apprehension, but at every moment that he picked up on it, he was quick to root it out. Whether it be through starting a conversation with Mary or a gentle hand on Erin's back when her mother wasn't looking, he calmed her down. _If only he knew what he was doing to her by putting his hand there…_

"Night you two".

Gerry appeared in the doorway of Erin's room as the wee clock struck half past eleven. The two of them looked up at him from their respective positions, with peaceful smiles on their faces.

"Night da". Erin replied from where she was lying on her bed reading.

"Good night Mr Quinn". James, sat at the chair by her desk doing likewise, also returned a comment to Gerry's.

"Don't be too late now the two of ye".

"We won't daddy". Erin huffed.

The two men shared a look of amusement at her frustrated response, her face hidden from them by the book in front of it. The door was soon shut, leaving the two of them alone in her room. James was thankful that it was Gerry who'd come to check on them before bed, as whenever it was Mary or Joe in the past, they'd get read the riot act, despite the rest of the gang being there… or perhaps because the rest of the gang were there… but with Gerry it was different. James admired him, being just about the only person who truly did other than Mary, because he saw in Gerry some traits that he carried too. They were outsiders…they could both soak up the often-unnecessary abuse… _they were both in love with blondes of a certain…_

Love.

The truth about his feelings for Erin weren't outed at that second at least. However, it was whilst they were sat eating dinner at the Quinn house earlier that evening, that he truly realised he was madly in love with her. Crazily, stupidly in love with Erin Quinn. Dinner, especially with the added presence of Joe, Sarah and Orla, was hardly the place for him to stare, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She hadn't caught him, not to his knowledge anyway as she was yet to mention it, and he couldn't find it within himself to care. He wanted her to know how he felt, he really did.

Being alone in her room gave him the perfect chance.

Yet it wasn't perfect. Because like many times in his life, the courage suddenly disappeared, and he returned to being little Jamesie who liked hugs from his mum. Timid, shying away from any challenges that were presented to him… unable to share his feelings properly.

Erin's yawning drew him away from those thoughts. She'd put the book down to one side, sitting up to meet his eye from across the other side of the room.

"I'm goin' to go to sleep now James. I hope ye don't mind…".

"No not at all". He smiled at her, his guard going up to hide his disappointment at the night ending so soon. "I… I suppose I was about ready anyway".

He'd hoped to have schooled the second half of his reply in such a way that she didn't notice his dismay, but the raised eyebrow in his direction proved that it wasn't the case. Erin decided not to ask though, leaving James to turn her light off before he took up position in the sleeping bag on the floor. Orla would have joined them that evening too, but in the end, she was so tired from her excursions of the morning at John Hume's office and the afternoon out with Joe and Sarah as a reward, that she fell asleep after dinner. Joe ended up carrying her next door, unwilling to wake his granddaughter who was in such a deep sleep.

Erin watched the wee English fella as he walked across to the door, her eyes unwilling to leave him. He couldn't see her staring at him, which was good, because that meant he also couldn't see the way she was biting down on her lip either. And he couldn't read the sadness etched across her face from the fact that he was having to stay in the sleeping bag on the floor… not up with her on the bed. Where she wanted him.

Badly.

It was abject torture having him alone with her in her bedroom and being too scared to attempt to convey her true emotions to him. She'd shrivelled up into the shyer Erin, the Erin who liked to have cuddles from her daddy because it made the world feel safer.

Settling down into his sleeping bag, James could feel Erin's eyes on him. She'd looked away as he made his way back over from the light switch, but as soon as they weren't in direct view of each other again, he just knew she was looking at him. Turning around again though, she'd moved to face way… _stop wishing and wanting James, you've got no chance…_

The two eejits were dancing around the fire that was their feelings for each other, with neither wishing to stick their hand in to be burned by the other. James was staring at the ceiling, filling his mind with thoughts of his own shortcomings, convincing himself that he would never be good enough for Erin. In turn, she was lying with her back to him, telling herself that she was too cowardly to ever admit that she thought James truly was the biggest ride in Derry. Whilst they foxtrotted around the flames, it was the other end of the heat spectrum that became the catalyst.

The icy night.

"Bloody hell it's cold". James mumbled the complaint.

That was it.

Something was always going to have to give for one of them, and it was for Erin. Her next actions were going to be either genius or complete suicide for their friendship, an unmoveable awkwardness that would threaten to ruin everything for not just the two of them, but possibly for the whole group. It would be James's fault though of course. After all, he'd once told her to be confident around boys because they liked that in a girl. And he was a real-life boy. In her bedroom.

"Do ye want to… get in?"

She'd already pulled back the covers to show him his place next to her, and as James sat up, his eyes were full of wonder, yet were still tinged with disbelief. It was getting beyond the point of friendship if he was to share a bed with her, but it would be undoubtedly warmer under her covers than it would be in the sleeping bag on the floor. Then again, her parents were in the house and Joe could be on the prowl at any time…

"I… erm… I… if you…".

_Come on James for fuck's sake…_

_Have some confidence…_

_The girl you fancy is inviting you into her bed and you're standing there gawking like a moron… pull yourself together you stupid mug…_

_Her parents are asleep… you're doing nothing wrong…_

"Yes".

The answer was more blunt than confident. Not that it mattered to Erin, as despite the dark of the room, he could see her lips curve into a smile. James pulled himself up onto the bed, ready to take up position at the very edge in order to maintain the most respectable distance he could. But as soon as his arms were within her grasp, Erin suddenly yanked him over towards her, so that he came to a stop as their noses were almost touching. The boundaries of friendship were well and truly breached.

Hot breaths cascaded down the cheeks of their faces as their eyes bore into each other, irises locked in what was almost a challenge. One was daring the other to make the first move. Neither's control over their own emotions were holding steady in such proximity to each other, the buried feelings and forbidden desires rising to the fore.

"Can I… ask you something". James whispered, puncturing the tension for a moment.

"Mmhmm". Erin was so lost she couldn't form proper words.

"What you said earlier… when the woman asked about who owned me…".

He didn't need to carry on and finish the sentence to ask the question, knowing that she would automatically jump to his meaning. They understood each other perfectly like that. It was how she responded that caught him off guard.

Her hand moved forward to rest on his chest, directly over his heart, where she could feel the rapid beat underneath. His eyes sparked open with further wonder as her eyes did too.

"Mine… under lock…. and key".

From those words on, any shields that they'd put around themselves to prevent them being together were torn asunder. His lips were on hers, uncontrollably running his hands over her, easing his tongue through the defences to jostle with hers. They were frantic and wild, James soon nipping away at a spot behind her ear that coaxed moans from her, moans that she barely kept to a murmur to avoid detection. She might have once chastised herself for not having moves, but he made up for her in that department. James had moves… serious moves.

"James…".

She just about uttered his name, but it was only to encourage him, something which, to her, he incredibly seemed to understand. He'd shifted so that his body almost covered hers, planting kisses into her neck and along the path of her collarbone that only heightened her arousal. His straying left hand cheekily undid a couple of buttons on her pyjama top, increasing the ease in which he could nip away at her. Erin just let him run rampant, unable to stop him as her body responded to his touch with feelings that she never knew she could possess.

James might have been hers under lock and key, but it was her who was being unlocked that night as he pressed against her.

They never did struggle for warmth the whole night…

And when Gerry came in to check on the two the following morning, he left them as he found them. They'd even woken before him, snogging away underneath the covers, rolling around and giggling as they did, young and carefree.

James was a good lad. He could allow it… he liked the Englishman.

He was also a brave wee bastard. Far braver than Gerry at that age. He would barely hold Mary's hand at her parents' house…

At that very moment he heard the front door open, and he was reminded of why he was so cautious as a teenager. Knowing that it would be Joe arriving, Gerry did the most sensible thing he could. He went into the bathroom, locked the door, ran himself a shower and shut himself off from the world… because he knew Joe would be heading for Erin's room before long. Joe was aware James would be staying over, and even if he thought he was a wee gay fella, he would still check to be sure. With the two teens being so lost in each other, they never heard him coming.

Gerry heard the aftermath though.

"MARY! GET THE WOODEN SPOON!"

"GERRY! YOU USELESS SHITE… WHERE ARE YE!"

Chuckling to himself in the bathroom, Gerry prepared to face the music. But this time, he wouldn't be alone in the storm of Joe's wrath. He had an ally.

Because for the foreseeable future, James's happiness would be owned by Joe.

Kept under lock and key.


End file.
